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Stories by Jo Clifton

Ledesma-Woody says she won't ask for recount

Susanna Ledesma-Woody, who came very close to defeating longtime incumbent Travis County Precinct 4 Commissioner Margaret Gómez in the March 1 Democratic primary, said she is withdrawing her request for a recount. As of Wednesday, Gómez had 11,021 votes and…

Report finds Hill Country suffering the demands of rapid growth

Wide open spaces, vistas of wildflowers, dark night skies full of stars, and the charms of country living have all led to unprecedented population growth in the Texas Hill Country. That growth, and the growth that will inevitably follow, have…

Commission recommends moving APD forensics lab

With little fanfare, Austin’s Public Safety Commission voted unanimously Monday to ask City Council to move the Forensic Science Bureau out of the Austin Police Department, making it independent both in structure and budget. Commissioners signaled last month that they…

After razor-thin loss, Ledesma-Woody says she’ll seek a recount

After losing to incumbent Margaret Gómez by just 219 votes out of 21,677 cast in the Travis County Commissioner Precinct 4 race, challenger Susanna Ledesma-Woody announced Wednesday that she would seek a recount. During most of Tuesday night’s ballot counting,…

Gómez wins tight race against Ledesma-Woody

Margaret Gómez, who has been the Travis County Precinct 4 commissioner for more than 27 years, was widely expected to win reelection by defeating opponent Susanna Ledesma-Woody in the Democratic primary on Tuesday. Ledesma-Woody and Gómez battled over this seat…

Street cut follow-up audit shows progress on repairs

When a team from the Office of the City Auditor examined street cuts in 2017, they found a significant backlog in repairing the damaged areas left behind on streets when utility work is done by the city. Those damaged streets have been…

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Auditors find few faults with utility bill assistance program

Austin Energy, which manages billings for city utility customers, provides reduced utility bills for more than 35,000 electric, water and wastewater customers with low incomes. The Customer Assistance Program offers discounts that average about $650 a year for residential customers…

Zoning for east side brewery wins final approval

City Council gave final approval Thursday for zoning to allow construction of a huge development, including a new brewery and 275-foot-tall building at 6705 and 6501 Regiene Road on the city’s east side. The plan for the 16-acre site includes…

Who will help Austin enforce its traffic laws?

Although Austin continues to address dangerous driving behaviors through engineering and educational efforts, traffic fatalities continue to happen. The issue “remains a critical one for the city to analyze and address moving forward,” according to a follow-up audit presented to…

Ledesma-Woody says she's still in county commissioner race

Susanna Ledesma-Woody, who is running to unseat Margaret Gómez, the incumbent Travis County commissioner for Precinct 4, has erroneously filed a form indicating she does not intend to accept any future political contributions or make any expenditures. Ledesma-Woody told the…

Downtown court location decision postponed again

Responding to pleas from downtown residents and business owners, City Council has once again put off a decision about the new location of a court that primarily serves Austin’s homeless community. City staffers have recommended that the Downtown Austin Community…

Water utility chief answers questions about boil-water notice

Following an unexpected boil-water notice not related to a winter storm, Austin Water Director Greg Meszaros announced his resignation last week from a job he has held for nearly 15 years. Several City Council members took the opportunity to praise…

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